Hostage
by trallgorda
Summary: Why does Apophis hold Daniel hostage? What will Sha're do when Daniel's wellbeing depends on her obedience? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Daniel knew they were in trouble as soon as he spotted the Jaffa. They'd gone on a simple recon mission, and it quickly evolved into hell in a matter of minutes. They came out of nowhere, and in the next instant there was shooting all over the place. Daniel shot back as well; he'd been trained how to use all the weapons that the SGC had at its disposal, but there were times when he wondered if he ever actually hit anyone or anything. He saw Jaffa fall, but that didn't mean he'd hit them.

"I thought this wasn't a Ga'ould planet!" Jack shouted to Teal'c. "This is one of the planets from the Ancients' information!"

"It is an Ancient planet!" Teal'c assured him, shouting over the gunfire. "I do not know why they are here!"

"Who cares?" Sam shouted. "We're under fire!"

What happened at that point was too chaotic for Daniel to remember clearly. Something…exploded nearby and knocked him to the ground. He could hear shouting, screaming, more shooting, and the last thing he remembered seeing before oblivion overtook him was the face of a Jaffa looking down at him.

For a while--an interminably long while--there was pain. He hurt all over, and breathing was the most difficult thing he'd ever had to do in his life. At times, he would feel the pain lessen and self-awareness would return, but it never lasted very long. During those times of self-awareness he would realize that he was being taken somewhere, but he didn't know where, how long they had been traveling, or why he hurt so much. He remembered that there had been people with him before the pain, but who were they exactly (he couldn't remember) and why was he so worried about them? Whenever being awake with the pain became too much for him, a Jaffa would appear and force something down his throat that would make him sleep. Eventually, he came to welcome the bitter liquid the Jaffa made him swallow and the sleep that followed.

When he at last woke completely from the pain, he was lying down somewhere warm and dark. He could feel movement all around him, and slowly, it became lighter. Then he found himself staring at a ceiling above him and wondering just where he was. He was…slowly he sat up, and he realized that he was in a sarcophagus. It had just finished healing him.

"Tau'ri?"

Daniel jumped, and to his right he saw the same Jaffa warrior standing, watching him. The room was large, and there were other Jaffa standing at the door, obviously guarding him.

"Come with me," the Jaffa said, standing back to allow Daniel to climb out of the sarcophagus. "I have been told to tell you that if you attempt to escape, then your friends' health will be on your responsibility."

Daniel felt himself go cold. "Where are they? And where are we?"

The Jaffa didn't answer as he took Daniel by the arm and led him out of the sarcophagus room and into a hallway. Down the hallway they went, and Daniel found himself awed by the splendor surrounding him. Tall, columned galleries with sumptuous hangings, torches, statues, and walls covered with hieroglyphics. It looked as if they were in a palace! Either that, or a very fancy ship at the least.

"Where are my friends?" Daniel asked. "Are we going to where they are?"

The Jaffa pulled out a zat and pointed it at Daniel. "Be silent, Tau'ri. I will not answer your questions. You are to come with me. Do you understand?"

All Daniel could do was nod, and then the Jaffa continued to lead him through hallways. As Daniel walked, he thought. Why had they been attacked on a planet that was not a Ga'ould planet? Were these really Jaffa he was seeing, or did they only look like Jaffa? (He had an awful feeling that they were the real article.) If they were, then why was he here alone and where was the rest of SG-1?

He felt as if someone had pulled the carpet from underneath his feet and he still hadn't regained his balance. He was under the impression that Apophis and the rest of the System Lords wanted him dead, but if that were the case, then why had someone put him in the sarcophagus? Why go the the trouble of reviving him when they could dance on his corpse instead? He was sure that more than one System Lord would be more than happy for that. What bothered him more were his surroundings: Where was he? Why did this place look like a palace? Since he was a prisoner of war, then he should have been in the dungeon or a cell somewhere. So, why wasn't he?

They entered what had to be a throne room, and Daniel's guard led him up to the dais where he could see two empty thrones. He stood there staring until the guard hit him in the back of the knees with his staff weapon, knocking Daniel to the floor before growling, "Kneel to the gods, Tau'ri!"

Wisely, Daniel remained silent and stayed on his knees, wondering which Ga'ould he would see. He could hear footsteps approaching, and he was certain that he wouldn't like what he saw. A door behind the thrones opened, and when he saw Apophis and Amaunet enter, he knew that his fears were confirmed. Of all the Ga'ould he could have seen, they were the least welcome, despite the fact that seeing Amaunet allowed Daniel to see his beloved wife Sha're. Apophis led Amaunet forward and seated her before turning to Daniel. When the archeologist saw the cold smile Apophis wore, he knew that nothing good was going to happen.

"Welcome, Tau'ri Daniel Jackson," Apophis said, walking down the few stairs of the dais to stand in front of Daniel. "I trust you are feeling better?"

"Better?" Daniel echoed, not quite sure if this was truly Apophis. After all, Apophis did not bother to ask how you were feeling. Perhaps he was sick?

"You were injured," Apophis explained. "I had you put in my sarcophagus as soon as you were brought in."

Daniel blinked. "Ah...thank you?" He didn't know what else to say but one other word. "Why?"

Apophis turned and regarded him coolly. "Would you have preferred to die?"

"No, it's just that you really don't help someone unless there's something in it for you," Daniel remarked. "So, what's in it for you this time?"

"Your life," Apophis said smugly. "I need you alive."

"I won't tell you anything," Daniel said quickly. Thanks to Jack, he had learned how to resist interrogations and torture and everything else that Apophis could possibly do to him. There was no way the Serpent King could get information from him to use against the SGC.

"Did I say I wanted information?" Apophis snapped. "You assume too much, Tau'ri, and you attach undue importance to yourself. No, I just need you living, that's all."

_Now I'm confused,_ Daniel thought. "I don't understand you."

"It is because of my host, Sha're," Amaunet said, rising to her feet and approaching Daniel as well. "She makes things...very difficult for me."

One side of Daniel's mouth rose in a bitter smile. "I bet she's fighting you every moment."

Apophis' fist lashed out, knocking him to the floor and making him see stars for a moment. "You will be respectful to Amaunet, Tau'ri!" he growled.

Daniel picked himself up from the floor and glared at Apophis. "So why do you need me?" he demanded.

"Allow your host to come forward, my love," Apophis said, laying an arm about Amaunet's shoulders. "Let's allow them both to speak to one another, and I will make the matter plain."

Amaunet's chin dipped forward onto her chest, and when Daniel next saw her face, it was Sha're. She stared at Apophis, horrified, and backed away from him. Apophis gave a dark chuckle and smiled at her. "What's wrong, my dear? Frightened to see me? Not to worry, there's nothing the matter. I have a pleasant surprise for you," he said, grasping her shoulders and turning her to face Daniel. "Look. Do not say I am not kind. I have had your Daniel brought to you. Why don't you greet him?"

"Daniel?" Sha're gasped. "Husband? You are real? You are not a trick?"

Daniel could say nothing, but he rose to his feet and held out his arms. "Sha're..."

The next thing he knew, she was in his arms and he was holding her for the first time in more than two years. The time drifted away from both of them in that moment, and it was as if they were still on Abydos.

"You _are_ real," Sha're breathed. "This is horrible, husband."

Daniel pulled away from her but did not release her, and he looked into her eyes, wondering why she had said that. Had she grown to hate him for not finding her sooner? Oh, God, anything but that!

"They have brought you here to punish me," she told him. "They are going to kill you..."

"But we are not," Apophis said, interrupting her. "No, we want your Daniel alive and in good health for a good, long time. You see, that long and healthy life will depend entirely upon you, Sha're. Amaunet is not of a mind to give you up, and since Daniel is precious to you, what better way could we find to solve the problem of your consistent disobedience? If you continue to be host to Amaunet and cause her no difficulties, then Daniel will be fine."

Daniel was horrified, but he could not make his voice work.

"You will lock him up and torture him!" Sha're cried, glaring angrily at Apophis.

"Oh, we will not," Apophis assured her, chuckling again.. "How fierce the lioness is when she has something to protect! Daniel will have a suite of rooms here in our palace, servants to attend him, the best food and drink, the best clothing we can provide, and the best possible care."

"You lie," Sha're hissed fiercely. "I have seen how you torture those in your power! You would not do such things for Daniel or anyone else you consider your enemy! I have heard you say how much you wish Daniel dead!"

"I'm beginning to think that all of that sarcophagus use has done a number on your snakey little mind," Daniel broke in, using one of Jack's favorite adjectives for the Ga'ould. "You have to be crazy. That's the only explanation I can think of."

Apophis smiled. "I can assure you I am not mad. It is a brilliant idea. How better to control a host than to ensure you have a hostage? As further proof of my kindness, you shall have an hour each day in one another's company."

Daniel stared at him, too surprised and freaked out to even think. Was this the same Apophis? This was the guy who had blithely ordered his execution more than once! Had he been hit in the head or lost his mind? "You would have me live in your very palace? How do you know I won't try to kill you?"

"But you will not, Tau'ri," Apophis informed him, clearly enjoying himself. "Your servants will see that you are kept diverted and amused. You will not be bored nor will you have time to attempt assasination. Besides, should you attempt to harm anyone, I can always have a few peasants brought to the palace to be tortured to ease your boredom. I can tell you myself how amusing it is to watch them beg for mercy."

Daniel swallowed, feeling ill, and he shook his head. "That won't be necessary."

Apophis smiled. "Good. Ensure that it will not be." He turned and addressed Sha're. "Now, woman, will you cease troubling Amaunet, or will the sight of your Daniel being tortured help you to decide to do so?"

"No!" Sha're cried, terrified for Daniel's sake. "Do not harm him!"

"Then you agree to our bargain?"

_"No_, Sha're," Daniel said sharply. "I won't let him have this control over you! I won't allow him to use me! I'll die first!"

Apophis laughed. "You will die first? Amusing, Tau'ri. We have the sarcophagus. Even if we killed you during our 'persuasion' of Sha're, you can be brought back to life. Also, any attempt to kill yourself will fail, and each time you try, that will mean ten peasants tortured. There are a good many children out in that city. Think of that."

Daniel fought down an urge to wrap his hands around Apophis' skinny throat. "Then torture me if you want. I won't allow you to do this to Sha're."

Apophis nodded to Daniel's guard, and the Jaffa lifted his staff weapon.

"No!" Sha're screamed, running to place herself between Daniel and his would-be torturer. "I will not let you! I will cease fighting Amaunet!"

"No, Sha're! Say no!"

Sha're whirled and wrapped Daniel in her arms so tightly that his ribs hurt and gave him a kiss that took his breath for a moment. She pulled away and looked into his eyes longingly and placed her hands on either side of his face. "If you can be so brave for me, my husband, then I can be so brave for you," she told him. "We must wait a little longer before we can be together again."

"A wise decision," Apophis said smugly. "Daniel will be shown to his quarters, and I wish Amaunet to come forward now. Do so."

Sha're stepped away from Daniel and her head dipped forward. When she raised it, Daniel saw Amaunet looking at him. "Good. She has agreed, my lord," she said, turning to Apophis and kissing him before addressing Daniel's guard. "Jaffa. Take him to the rooms we have had prepared and keep him there until we send for him. You have your orders."

"How long do you plan on keeping me?" Daniel asked before the Jaffa could take him out of the room.

"As long as we like," Amaunet snapped. "Do not try our patience, Tau'ri. Do as you're told!"

Daniel had no choice but to go, but he swore to himself that he would find some way out of his current situation and that he would save Sha're.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Daniel was led through the palace and to a place somewhere upstairs. His guards took him through a set of double doors and into what was apparently a suite of rooms. He stared around him in shock since they were on a level of luxury comparable to that Apophis and Amaunet would have for themselves. There were low-slung couches, mounds of cushions, and one or two chairs in this room that Daniel guessed was a sitting room. There was a doorway into another room, and that was where his guards were taking him. It proved to be a bedroom, but he didn't get a chance to look around it since they were taking him even further into a room beyond. In it, a man was waiting, and he gave a bow to the Jaffa as they brought Daniel in. The Jaffa barked a few orders and left, leaving Daniel with the man.

"Um, hello," Daniel said, trying hard to appear in control. "Who are you?"

The man, dressed in usual Ga'ould fashion, regarded him coldly. "I am your manservant," he said, looking angry. "I have been taken from the service of another so that I may serve you, Tau'ri Jackson."

"Uh, it's…Daniel, actually."

"Tau'ri," the man persisted. "I am An-khet. I am here to serve you and make you comfortable."

"Oh, that won't be necessary, but thanks. I don't need someone to wait on me," Daniel told him. "I usually watch after myself."

"Apophis wishes it," An-khet told him. "It is my honor to do Apophis' will."

An-khet barked out an order, and the room suddenly swarmed with people who descended on Daniel and began tugging at his clothes. "Uh, what are they doing?" he asked An-khet, more than a little uncomfortable.

"We have been ordered to clean you up," An-khet said, motioning to include everyone in the room. "This is your bathing room."

Daniel looked about, and he saw that it was an Egyptian bathing room. On one wall there were several large urns full of water, scented and not, and several containers of bathing oil. There were towels hanging on a rack as well as sponges for spreading the oil on the body and he spotted a drain in the center of the floor that was presumably to let the water out. On the opposite wall was a large raised tub with steps leading up to the side so the bather could get into the water that was waiting. It looked just like a bathing room he'd seen on a dig in Egypt.

Within moments, he was undressed and sitting down on a stool in front of the urns of water. He sat very still while the servants dipped water out of the urns and poured it over him and then fell to scrubbing him with a will. They were none too gentle, and he was certain that they felt he'd never been clean in his life since they scrubbed and rinsed him several times until An-khet called a halt to the proceedings. Then, he was escorted over to the tub and settled in the warm water while An-khet poured a few vials of oil and salts into the bath.

"You are to soak until I come to fetch you," An-khet told him. "Then you shall have a meal and rest."

"Could you tell me about my friends?" Daniel asked, still worried about the rest of SG-1.

"I know nothing about them," An-khet snapped, turning on his heel and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Daniel stayed in the tub and wondered just where SG-1 was and what had happened to them. Where they prisoners here somewhere? Had they managed to get away? He wasn't sure if Apophis had them as prisoners or not since he couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone, and he was getting conflicting signals from more than one person about them. The Jaffa had told him that his friends' lives depended on his good behavior, but Apophis had not mentioned them once, and An-khet knew nothing about them. Did all of this mean that they were not there?

Daniel was feeling particularly prune-like when An-khet and the other servants returned and helped him from the tub. They wrapped him in towels, rubbed him dry, and then wrapped him in a cotton robe before leading him into the bedroom. On a low table, there was a meal laid ready, and he sat down when told to do so.

"Do you need me to explain how to eat?" An-khet asked when Daniel did nothing.

Daniel tried hard not to stare at him. It was now very apparent that An-khet had a very low opinion of Tau'ri. "No, thank you," Daniel assured him. "Just what am I about to enjoy here?" He recognized a few things (foods he'd had in Egypt) but he didn't want to eat anything he didn't know the names of.

An-khet took a deep breath as if he were wishing for patience. "You have in front of you rice cooked with meat, peas, cucumber, onions, and cumin, aysh shami bread filled with fresh cabbage, garlic, and vinegar dressing, a bowl of roasted mushrooms with pepper, and for a sweet course you have dates in honey. Of course, there is wine if you like, or spring water if you would prefer that."

Those were all things he knew, thank goodness, so he wouldn't have to worry about coming across any unknown (and possibly unsavory) Ga'ould delicacy. The first was common enough, the second dish was close to a salad in pita bread, and the third and fourth were both dishes he'd had in Egypt. Good. Thanking An-khet, he took a little bit of everything but the wine and ate, focusing on just getting something into his stomach rather than stuffing himself. After a few times in the sarcophagus, he'd noticed that he was always hungry after being healed. He could remember being on Ra's ship and feeling starved after being in the sarcophagus, and he remembered being very surprised when Ra's guards brought him a large meal and insisted he eat, even going so far to say that Ra wished him to eat. Apparently, being healed very quickly took a lot of the body's energy and it needed to replenish that.

He finished with a few sticky dates and a servant brought water and a towel for Daniel to wash his hands with. Daniel thanked him (and was ignored) and An-khet suggested (or insisted?) that Daniel rest. Thinking it better to comply, Daniel lay down on the bed and allowed the servants to pull a light blanket over him. Curtains were pulled over the windows (it was apparent that they were not on a ship since the windows accorded quite a view on what appeared to be a desert planet, and it was clearly evening outside) and across the door to the room beyond and the room was left in darkness. As time went by, it got darker. He wasn't sure how long he had been lying there when the curtain across the door was pushed aside and An-khet came in. Seeing Daniel's eyes open, he left the room again and returned after a moment, carrying a tray holding a goblet and a small packet of something.

"What's this?" Daniel asked, sitting up.

"You are not asleep yet," An-khet said, placing the tray on a table and opening up the packet. Inside of it were several small pills. "Apophis has told me that if you do not fall asleep on your own you are to have one of these."

"Um...that won't be necessary," Daniel said, looking nervously at the pills. "I'll fall asleep eventually."

"Apophis wishes it," An-khet said sharply, holding out one of the pills and the water insistently.

"I guess I have no choice in the matter?" Daniel muttered. He took the pill and swallowed it with some of the water and handed the cup back to An-khet. As he lay back down his head started to spin, and it was very clear that those pills had one heck of a kick to them. As his eyes closed, Daniel decided to pretend to sleep in the future rather than take one of them again.

Space

"SG-1, what happened?" General Hammond asked, standing at the bottom of the ramp in the Gate room. "Where's Doctor Jackson?"

"We were attacked," Teal'c said, looking as upset as he could be. "The Jaffa who attacked us took Daniel Jackson and fled."

"What? Why?"

"Wish I knew, sir," Colonel O'Neill said, looking as if he were in some sort of shock. "I think that was their whole objective, though. To get Daniel."

"We went after them, but we were pretty outnumbered, and they threatened to hurt him if we continued to follow," Carter said, sitting down where she stood. "Sir, we have to go after him and help him! We'll go back with more units!"

"Not to worry," Hammond told them in an attempt to calm them down. "First, all of you are going to the infirmary, and then we'll debrief completely and make a plan. In the meantime, try to rest a little and calm yourselves down. We'll go after Dr. Jackson, I promise you."

Hammond went to the infirmary a few hours later and found the colonel and major asleep in bed, and Teal'c was doing kel'no'reem in a corner.

"They fell asleep during their exams," Dr. Frasier explained. "And Teal'c said he had to kel'no'reem. I don't want to wake any of them up since they need the rest, and I won't allow them to be woken up until they get at least eight hours' worth."

"At ease, Doctor," General Hammond said, taking in the doctor's fierce determination. "I wasn't about to have them woken since I think that we can afford the time. If Dr. Jackson was taken alive, then it stands to reason that he is still alive. Whoever it was that took him wouldn't have gone through the trouble of having him retrieved alive if he just wanted him dead."

Dr. Frasier nodded, but she looked worried about Daniel. "Have you contacted the Tok'ra or Asgard? See if either of them know anything?"

"The Asgard have no idea and they can't really do anything, and the Tok'ra said that none of their operatives are anywhere close to where Daniel may be, but they'll keep their ears to the ground just in case. That's all we can really hope for," Hammond said, sounding very tired. "If I still had hair, ten to one it'd be dead white right now due to all of the worrying I do about all of the people here. The bad thing is, most of that worrying is about Dr. Jackson. I don't know why, but I tend to worry about him a lot."

"Daniel means a lot to all of us, sir," Dr. Frasier said, laying a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. "We'll get him back, and then we can give him plenty of leave so you won't have to worry about him for a while."

Hammond only chuckled.

Space

Daniel came to with a crick in his neck and the feeling that he was waking up in a place that was neither his apartment or his quarters in the SGC. He couldn't remember any mission where he was camped offworld, so it stood to reason that he was either separated from the team and taken in by the locals, or he had been captured by hostiles and was with them now. Okay, so which was it?

He sat up, and then he remembered. He was in Apophis' and Amaunet's palace somewhere. Was he still on the planet that SG-1 had been exploring, or was he on a completely different one?

How _had_ the Jaffa been there? It had been a planet from the Ancients' data, and it certainly should not have been inhabited by Jaffa. How had they known they were going to be there? Come to think of it, if their objective had been to capture him, then how had they known just _where _SG-1 would be?

It seemed that Apophis had a way of getting information from SGC. That was...disturbing. Very disturbing.

"Good morning, Tau'ri Jackson," An-khet said as he entered the room. "Would it please you to rise?"

"Yes, it would," Daniel said, getting out of bed.

That was the last decision he made on his own until he sat down to breakfast an hour later. An-khet and the servants escorted him to the "convenience" and then bundled him into the tub to soak for a while in a warm bath. Daniel protested that he'd had a bath the night before, but the only answer An-khet gave him was a cold stare. Once he'd soaked, he was made to lie down on a padded bench and he was given a massage by one of the servants (he was considering naming them after the seven dwarfs, but all of them could be called "Grumpy" since all of them fit that description. Perhaps he could call them by the days of the week? Norse gods? Fruits and veggies?). Once that massage was over, the servants trotted out several outfits for him to see, and he could tell that they expcected him to choose one. He looked at them and felt certain that his fashion sense was rebelling in the most violent way. They were all Ga'ould outfits: silks, jewelry, sandals, and a whole lot of fuss and feathers. "What happened to the clothes I came in?" he asked after seeing the clothes they expected him to wear.

"Certainly you could not expect to appear in those...garments, Tau'ri Jackson," Ankhet said firmly. "These are the best available."

Daniel looked at him again. "Well, I'm not going to wear...those," Daniel told him just as firmly. "Those are...ridiculous."

An-khet was plainly shocked. "They are the best to be had, and they are what Apophis has supplied," he said. "What do you mean, ridiculous?"

"I do not wear silk robes or jewelry," Daniel said, eyeing the outfits with extreme distaste. "I prefer to wear...normal clothes."

"They are what Apophis has supplied," An-khet insisted. "There are no other garments but what we have for you. Since they are what has been supplied, then they are what you shall wear. Would you like to choose which ensemble to wear, or shall I choose?"

Rather than leave the choice up to An-khet's Ga'ould-influenced tastes, Daniel chose the simplest outfit available. It consisted of a short linen kilt, a longer gold silk kilt over that, a short-sleeved silk tunic, and a wrap that was designed to be passed over the sholder and allowed to hang. A belt fastened around his waist, holding all the ensemble in place, and a broad wesekh made to go around his neck completed the ensemble. Matching armbands and wristbands were added, and with a pair of sandals, Daniel was dressed.

"Could I have my glasses?" he asked. "I can't really see all too well without them."

Once he had his glasses on, he stood in front of a mirror and stared at himself. He looked just like an ancient Egyptian pharoah. He fingered the broad collar around his neck and wondered why on earth that of all people Apophis had to choose to dress up, why did it have to be him?

He wasn't given much time to ruminate on his postion since his servants offered him breakfast then, and he had a good feeling he was being given little if any choice in the matter (yet again) on whether he ate or not. His servants had their orders and it didn't matter what he thought. He ate and didn't taste a thing, and then he was led into his sitting room. Some of the servants began to play music (to amuse him?) while others busied themselves with several tasks. He sat where he had been placed and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Lunchtime came, and he ate again, and An-khet suggested he have a small rest. The servants drew the curtains over the windows yet again and he rested, or really, he lay there with his eyes clothes until An-khet "woke" him and said that he'd been asleep for a good while, would he like to rise now? Apophis had called for him.

Daniel was up within a second. "He's called for me?" he asked, surprised.

"Something about your promised hour," An-khet said, sounding very disapproving. "If you would care to follow me, Tau'ri Jackson?"

An-khet and two Jaffa escorted Daniel through the palace to the throne room, where Apophis and Amaunet were waiting. Apophis quickly dismissed the guards and An-khet, and Daniel was left alone with the two Ga'ould.

"Well, Tau'ri, you do clean up nicely," Apophis said at his most proud. "You look halfway civilized."

"I look ridiculous," Daniel countered. "What happened to my clothes?"

"Those rags? They are probably in some cleaning closet somewhere, or perhaps the trash heap. Does it really matter?"

"Put like that, no," Daniel admitted.

"Besides, you would want to appear your best before your beloved, would you not?" Apophis asked, looking toward Amaunet. As if that were a cue, Amaunet dipped her head forward and Sha're lifted it, looking about. She spotted Daniel and flew into his arms, relieved.

"I keep my promises," Apophis said, looking for all the world like a sinister (but indulgent) uncle out of a fairy tale. "An hour together. You may go into the garden through those doors there, but come back once the hour is up or risk losing it the next day. You will be attended by servants in case you require anything."

_Or so you will not attempt to escape,_ Daniel added silently, leading Sha're into the garden and ignoring Apophis' amused chuckle.

Once outside, Sha're wrapped her arms about Daniel and pulled him close, gazing into his eyes. "I had not thought to see you alive again, husband," she said, twining her fingers with his. "We cannot trust the demons to keep their words."

"No, you're right, but it seems that Apophis and Amaunet intend to do so for now," Daniel answered, wrapping his arms around her in response. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "I was fine as soon as I saw you. What is this you wear?"

Daniel winced. "Something Apophis provided. I look ridiculous, but I guess this is some sort of sick revenge on me."

Sha're smiled, and immediately Daniel felt it was worth wearing a hundred silly outfits if he could have that kind of reaction all the time. They sat together on a bench and talked as they had not been able to do for ages and eternities, and for some time, they did not talk at all but simply sat together, holding onto one another as if they would never let go.

"This is awful," Sha're said as the hour began to draw to a close. "It is awful, and it is wonderful. To be able to hold you, speak with you, and hear your voice...What better torture for us could they ever devise?"

"I would willingly undergo such a torture if it is the only way we can be together right now," Daniel told her, giving her a kiss. "We'll think of a way to get your life back, I promise you."

"_Our _lives, husband," Sha're said, giving him another kiss. "Our lives."

Daniel smiled at her and was about to give her another kiss, but Sha're stood up and glared at him and said in Amaunet's voice, "The hour is over, Tau'ri. Go back to your quarters."

Daniel waited until he got back to his quarters to break down. He drew the curtains in his bedroom and let himself have the privelege of being angry and actually weeping at Sha're's kidnapping. He was going to help her get away, he knew that much, but it was going to be very, very difficult until he did.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

On the fourth day of his captivity, Daniel asked for writing materials. When An-khet asked why he wanted them, Daniel told him in no uncertain terms that he was bored out of his skull and that he would like to keep a journal. It was something he did all the time. An-khet sighed, but he sent another servant out after the requested items. The young man returned with a roll of papyrus, a pot of ink, and a reed pen. Daniel thanked him (and was ignored) and immediately sat down and began to write.

_Day Four_

_I can't believe what's happened. Apparently, Sha're's been causing a lot of trouble for Amaunet and I've been brought here to ensure she behaves. We're allowed to spend an hour a day together, and the rest of the time I spend here in my quarters or outside in a garden._

_I'm very bored. The only time that seems to move quickly is the time I spend with Sha're._

_What do I do the rest of the time? _

_Not much, to tell you plainly. Not much at all. Some of the servants provided to me—and yes, I have servants—will play music in an attempt to amuse me, but that's about it. There's nothing to do, nothing to read, and nobody to talk to. The servants kind of ignore me most of the time. I'm polite to them—I say thank you and please and hello and good night and things like that—but I might as well be a votary statue for all that they take notice of me. They bring me my meals, bathe me, dress me, and keep my quarters clean, but that's it. I have very little choice in anything that happens to me. If I tell them that I can do something myself (like wash or dress) they just say "Apophis wishes it." Once they say that, I know I have no choice._

_The clothes are ridiculous—silks, jewelry, very over the top—but the food's okay. I got used to Egyptian cuisine while on digs, and I know Apophis likes Egyptian food. So, the food's not bad._

_Kind of makes me wish for Sha're's stew and some yaphetta bread, though. All of it's really rich. Sha're's a darn fine cook. I remember when I was recovering from being sick, and she'd make me all these little dishes that tasted fabulous and actually made me want to eat. Kasuf and Skarra would coax me, but Sha're never had to do that._

_I can't find out anything about SG-1. Are they here or not? I'm beginning to think that they're not since there is absolutely NO information about them, and Apophis never mentions them. I'm thinking that I'm here alone. Besides, if they were here, they would have rescued me by now._

_It feels good to write again. Thank goodness no one here reads English. I remember Anyse telling me about Freya's enjoying writing. I thought I understood her then, but now I really understand it. There's something therapeutic in writing._

_I wonder what Apophis and Amaunet do all day? Probably torture people or…other things. I don't think I want to think about that too much._

_An-khet is glaring at me. Or is he surprised? I think he hates me. No, I'm pretty sure he does. I think he's surprised I'm actually able to write. He's head honcho here, and he says "Apophis wishes it," all the time. He's like some kind of weird wind-up toy. _

_Very bored. As Apophis should know, a bored Tau'ri is a dangerous Tau'ri. Maybe I should plot mayhem and chaos? Nah. I'm too bored to plot. I need a little something more to wake up my brain. Maybe I should try driving An-khet a little crazy? What would even drive him crazy? All he does is give orders, so what could I do to make him mad? Whatever it is, it'd probably be pretty short-lived and not even worth the effort._

_Still bored. Very, very bored. Bee-oh-are-eee-dee. BORED._

_Day Five_

_Bored._

_Day Six_

_Very bored. Again, the only time when I'm not bored is when I'm with Sha're, and that goes all too quickly. We can't plot an escape since Amaunet's right there, so we talk about other things. Today she told me about what Skarra had been like as a little kid on the condition that I never reveal what I know. If he'd known what she was telling me, he would have died of embarrassment. She thought it would amuse me, and it did. I don't think I've laughed that much in a while. Then, Amaunet arrived and told me the hour was over._

_I hate that Ga'ould witch. If I ever found her without a host, I'd STEP on her._

_Wishful thinking, I know. As if that would ever happen, but I can dream, can't I?_

_Day Seven_

_Indescribably bored._

_Day Eight_

_So bored I want to scream._

_Day Nine_

_I did scream, and An-khet is STILL glaring at me._

_Day Ten_

_So bored I want to die. Don't think I'll oblige them._

_Day Eleven_

_Today I'm close to obliging. Close, but not there yet._

_Day Twelve_

_I'm going crazy. I have to have something to do._

_Day Thirteen_

_If Apophis is doing this to torture me, then IT'S WORKING!_

_Day Fourteen_

_I've been here two weeks now. Two weeks of complete boredom._

_What to write? Well, I've received some new clothes. Apophis chose them. I look horrendous and every level of ridiculous. There's a baby blue silk outfit, and according to what An-khet said, it brings out my eyes. From what I can gather, Apophis is not willing to have someone less-than-perfectly dressed in his palace. Clearly, he's willing to have someone ridiculously dressed instead._

_Day Fifteen, Evening_

_I just got back from a party Apophis was holding among all the Ga'ould lords who rule underneath him. I was invited. According to An-khet, everyone is very curious about Apophis' tame Tau'ri. An-khet dressed me in my best outfit and trotted me out into the company, and I never felt so ridiculous in all my life. They reacted to me as if I were a lapdog or a tiny child. I spent the entire evening being patted on the head or asked questions. How did I like the palace? What did I spend my time doing? Wasn't Apophis very kind for taking me in?_

_They made it sound as if he'd taken pity on me and had decided to bring me into civilized surroundings. Maybe to their perspective, he has, but I know I'd rather be on Abydos or Earth with Sha're._

_There was one Ga'ould I hope never to see again. EVER. She thought I was absolutely PRECIOUS. Those were her words exactly. It turns out she's Amaunet's aunt. I didn't know the Ga'ould had family relationships like that, but apparently they do. Her name's Amarateth, and she made me sit down by her and she kept on trying to feed me sweets and little tidbits. She told Amaunet that I was simply beautiful, and how did they get such a pretty color of eyes and hair? I was too handsome to be believed._

_Boy, do I feel sorry for her servants, especially if they're handsome young men. She was the one who patted me most and used terms like "sweetie" and "dear" and "lovey." She's very…aunt-like, I guess you could say. Annoying._

_An-khet is giving me the look of death. He wants me to put this away so I can be washed and put to bed. Apophis wishes it._

_I wish I could get out of here and take Sha're with me._

_Day Sixteen_

_No rescue yet and no escape yet._

_Day Seventeen_

_An-khet must have told Apophis that I was bored because today An-khet escorted me to the library._

_Apophis READS?_

_Well, I wasn't about to let a chance to read pass me by. I spent hours in there today, reading more than I've read in the last two weeks and I loved every moment of it. I'm allowed to go there every day to read if I like._

_Most of the scrolls are Ga'ould histories detailing their" fabulous" accomplishments and the various family trees, but they do have a literature of sorts. Poetry and plays are in evidence, as well as tales about the early days of the Ga'ould, and I'm taking notes. Another type of literature is something that I suppose could be called anthropological digests. They're about all of the races that the Ga'ould have encountered, conquered, taken as hosts, or strictly avoid for various reasons. I'm taking notes on those, too. Once Sha're and I escape here, I can give this information to the SGC. It may prove to be useful._

_Day Eighteen _

_Another surprise. An-khet took me to the music room today, and the Ga'ould have some instrument like a piano. Amaunet must have known from Sha're's mind that I play. One day on Abydos Sha're asked about the music of Earth and I described it for her and she asked if I was a musician. I told her I could play the piano, so I described it for her and drew a picture of it. She said that she wished we had one of those so she could hear me play. It took me a few minutes to figure the thing in the music room out, but I was able to get "Fur Elise." An-khet was surprised, and he even unbent enough to ask what the piece was called._

_Day Nineteen_

_I never would have thought An-khet to be a music lover, but it turns out he is. I spend the mornings in the music room, accompanied by him, and I play every piece my fingers can remember while he stands there in rapt attention._

_He's not glaring at me as much, which is an improvement. They say music soothes the savage beast, but who knew it would work on An-khet?_

_In the afternoons, after my required rest (Apophis wishes it, so it must be done.) and before my time with Sha're, I'm in the library reading. Then, I'll have dinner in my quarters and I'll write before bed._

_Time's passing, and I'm not so bored anymore, but I still wish I could be with Sha're somewhere else._

_Day Twenty_

_I'm in BIG TROUBLE. Amaunet's aunt visited, and she's asked Apophis to give me to her so I can be host to her son. I've been sent to my quarters while she and Apophis discuss it._

_What am I going to DO?_

_Day Twenty-one_

_Help._

_Day Twenty-two_

_Still discussing, and I haven't seen anyone but An-khet and the servants. I've been kept here in my quarters, and I haven't been given my daily hour with Sha're for the past two days._

_When are they going to tell me what's going on?_

_I'm more than a little sick of being the good little prisoner who stays in his room and does as he's told._

_If I don't know anything by tonight, I'm escaping. There has to be a Stargate somewhere nearby. It doesn't matter where I go, just as long as I'm away from here. If I'm not here, then Apophis will no longer have me to dangle over Sha're's head, and she will be free to fight again, and I will be free to find some way to free her of Amaunet._

Space

Later that night, Daniel gathered his notes together in preparation for his escape. He knew he would possibly be caught and locked up, but at the moment his only thought was to get away to avoid losing his will to a Ga'ould. Becoming a Ga'ould would allow him and Sha're to be together (and there were times when he wanted that more than anything else, whatever the cost), but it would also mean that he would be unable to help her escape. Instead, he would be prisoner himself, and that would do no good. They both had a better chance of getting away if one of them were free.

He went to bed early, and he waited for his servants to quiet down and go to sleep. He counted out two hours, and then slowly, carefully, he eased himself out of bed, grabbed a cloak and his notes, and made his way toward the window, tiptoeing past An-khet's door. He slithered out of the window, along a ledge, and down a flower-covered trellis, silently cursing the thorns. Why were such decorative flowers always the biggest pains to touch? Keeping an eye out for the guard, he scaled the garden wall and made his way down to the ground on the other side, thanking Jack for teaching him how to climb walls. He headed away from the palace, certain that the Stargate would be outside of the city but close enough for people to go to. After all, they'd traveled a long way to get here, that much he could remember, so it seemed his reasoning was accurate.

It was almost too easy, but just as he realized that it _was_ too easy, the Jaffa hit, taking him by surprise. He came to with a splitting headache and his hands tied, staring up at Apophis, who looked thoroughly upset and ready to kill him.

"What did you think you were doing, Tau'ri?" he demanded, his eyes flashing.

"I was thinking of getting away before I became snake food," Daniel snapped, sitting up and wincing with the pain in his head. "I won't become a host to any snake--ever."

That earned him a backhand across the face. "Do not be foolish, Tau'ri," Apophis sneered. "To do that to you would cause Sha're to begin fighting Amaunet again, and we can't have that. However, your actions do require that you be punished. After all, you seem to have time on your hands, and you've been bored enough to plan and carry out an escape."

Daniel went cold, suddenly certain that Apophis was going to make good on his threat to have peasants brought in to be tortured for Daniel's "amusement."

"Perhaps your boredom is a result of not having enough to do. There are scholars here, so I'll arrange for you to attend their lectures. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, and I'm sure you won't have any more time to cause trouble." Apophis turned to the waiting Jaffa. "Take him to his quarters and tell his servants that he's to sleep tonight."

Daniel was pulled to his feet and led out of the throne room, certain that Apophis' snakey little mind had finally cracked.


	4. Chapter 4

HostageIV

An-khet would never admit it to anyone, least of all himself, but he was worried about his Tau'ri charge. The man had tried to escape two weeks before, and now he seemed…well, he was different. He was no longer himself, or even remotely like himself. He ate his meals, took his baths, wore the clothes set out for him, slept at night and for a short time in the afternoon, went to the _kymnasi_ every day for exercise, saw the queen, attended the lectures that Apophis had chosen for him and participated in the activities arranged for him and followed every order that Apophis had given without a fuss. That was not _normal_ for this man. Usually he made a pithy remark when told to do something, but he'd become quiet—very quiet, in fact. As An-khet began to watch him and take note of him, he realized that the Tau'ri rarely ever spoke, which was quite a departure from his questions and comments about the life he was being forced to lead now. Formerly, he'd had a pleasant expression on his face, but now he had a very different one, one that was almost melancholy.

He began to notice other things as well. He ate at every meal, but he ate less than he had. He never complained about the style of the clothing chosen for him and never bothered to choose an ensemble on his own now. Instead of reading when he was in the library, he stared off into space with hardly a glance at the scroll in his hands. When he practiced his music, all of the pieces he played were slow, sad, and dolorous ones. When he was woken in the morning or from his afternoon rest, he still appeared tired and his eyes were red, as if he hadn't really slept well or had actually been crying. He seemed to be just a body going through the motions of living. Where there had been passion before, now there was resignation.

What had caused the change?

That afternoon, he escorted the Tau'ri to the music room so he could practice. An-khet watched him as he took his seat at the pactnah and began to warm up his hands with scales. After a handful of those he stopped in the middle of one and launched into a piece that sounded as if the instrument was screaming out its woe. An-khet hid a sigh, for he missed the bright and stirring pieces that the man had played before his thwarted escape. Suddenly the man stopped, flexed his fingers, and began to play a very different piece. Broken arpeggios gave An-khet the sudden feeling as if he were riding on the back of the wind over countless, sweeping hills.

"What is that?"

He had asked the question before he could stop himself, and the Tau'ri stopped and turned on the bench, staring at him in surprise. "What?"

"I…asked what that piece was," An-khet said, hardly able to believe it.

The man's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Um…it's my wife's…favorite song," he said, looking away. "It's 'A Red, Red Rose,' and it's very famous on Tau'ri."

"What is it about?"

The Tau'ri stared at him. "You've…never asked me questions before. It's a song where a man likens the love he bears for a woman to a red, red rose and a melody played in tune, and he tells her that he'll love her until the seas go dry, while the sands of life run, and the rocks melt from the sun's heat, and he'll always return to her even if he goes ten thousand miles away."

"I can see why it's her favorite," An-khet said after a moment.

The man—Daniel—nodded. "I used to sing it to her. She'd always ask me for it, almost every day we were together. Once, I became sick, and she took care of me. She'd sing it to me all the time while I was fevered to let me know she was there."

Suddenly, Daniel leaned his elbows on the pactnah and rested his head on his hands, his eyes shut and his jaw clenched, looking as depressed as An-khet had ever seen him. With his eyes still closed, he said quietly, "I wonder if I'll ever be able to sing it to her—just her—again."

An-khet didn't answer. He knew that the queen had taken his wife for her host, and he did not presume to question the choices of the gods, but one had to wonder why they caused such suffering when they claimed to be merciful and kind. He'd asked that once of his teacher, and all his teacher had said was that the decisions gods made were not like the ones man made, and man had no basis for understanding them. All that the gods did was for the greater good of all, and he should be content with that.

Still, it rankled.

"I think I need to go back to my room and lie back down," Daniel said, rising from the bench. "My head hurts, and I really don't want to go to lectures today."

"I shall inform the scholars and Apophis," An-khet promised, following him out of the music room. "Do you wish me to wake you for your time with the queen?"

"Yes, thank you."

Once Daniel was in bed with the curtains drawn around him, An-khet told the other servants to watch their charge carefully while he took care of something. He went to his quarters, changed into his best clothing, and went to Apophis' rooms and asked the guards there to tell Apophis that one of his servants begged his indulgence to see him. Nervously, he waited until he was admitted to Apophis' presence.

"An-khet," Apophis said, setting a scroll aside. "You wished my indulgence, and you have it."

"I humbly thank you, my lord," An-khet said, kneeling. "I come to you to voice a concern and seek the counsel that only you can give."

"What concern?"

"The Tau'ri that you have so graciously placed in my charge seems…well, there seems to be something troubling him."

"Troubling him? What makes you think so?" Apophis asked, interested.

"He seems to be very depressed. He is not sleeping well, he eats less than he has previously, and he neglects his reading. The music he plays is sad and brooding. He seems to feel no joy in anything. His whole demeanor has changed, and I do not know what to do to help him become himself again."

Apophis sat there, surprised. "Since his thwarted escape?"

An-khet hid his surprise that he already knew that. Apophis was a god, after all. "Since his attempt to flee my lord's presence and light, but I was only certain of it today," An-khet confessed. "I beg my lord's forgiveness for not discerning the change sooner."

Apophis waved the apology away. "Apparently, his situation preys on his mind. He will need something to think about for a while." He appeared to be lost in thought. "I know the very thing. He shall give a concert. He has been practicing his music, has he not?"

"Every day," An-khet confirmed. "My lord, this is wonderful news! Shall I tell him now?"

"You may," Apophis said, granting him permission. "Tell him he has three weeks in which to prepare and that we wish beautiful music. Since he is an artist, we can trust him to choose suitable pieces."

An-khet thanked him again, bowed, and backed out of the room. Once he was in the corridor he hurried to Daniel's quarters to tell him. He didn't think that being forced to give a concert was "wonderful news" as he'd told Apophis, but perhaps it would turn out well. Then he realized that it would, for if the god said so, then so it would be.

Now he only had Daniel's reaction to worry about.

Space

"I can't believe how long it's been," Jack said, staring through the conference room window to stare at the Stargate. "We have no idea where they took him, where he could be now, what could be happening to him now…"

Neither Teal'c nor Carter said anything. General Hammond was silent as well.

Jack turned to face them. "How much longer? How much longer do we have?"

"We're worried as well, Colonel," General Hammond said, staring at the pile of folders in front of him. "You know that we're looking with all possible speed, since SG-1 has been the one leading most of these missions."

"And we haven't found a thing," Jack muttered, leaning his head on his hand. "Not a piece of rock with a message on it, not a trail, not even the chaos and mayhem that Daniel usually manages to create."

"I thought that was your specialty, O'Neill, and not Daniel Jackson's," Teal'c said.

Jack actually gave a ghost of a smile. "I'm so worried I'm forgetting who does what. Next thing you know I'll be down in his office trying to translate all those scribbled-on rocks."

Carter smiled. Of all of them, the colonel was the one taking this situation the hardest. His worry was a testament to the friendship he shared with Daniel, but anyone could see that it was starting to take its toll. He didn't look as if he'd slept in days, she couldn't remember seeing him eat more than a few bites on their last few missions to find Daniel, and she could tell that if they didn't find something out _soon_, he was going to lose it in some way. She was certain that he was going to need rest eventually, but she knew from experience that he would keep going until he found Daniel, dropped from exhaustion, or was dead. She knew that she and Teal'c would drop eventually (and she felt very close to it at the time being), but she also knew that the colonel would keep on going after that.

"Well, sitting here worrying isn't going to help us find Dr. Jackson," Hammond said, rising from his seat. "All of you have physicals before your next mission, so I suggest you report to the infirmary and then the commissary for a good meal."

"Yes, sir," Jack said, also rising. "Thanks."

Hammond nodded as they all left and headed to the infirmary. Dr. Frasier had been to see him that morning to voice her concerns about the three remaining members of SG-1 after giving them their standard return physical. All of them were fatigued, malnourished, underweight, and mentally exhausted. Even Teal'c, with his use of tretonin, was in the same condition, and she'd thought that almost impossible. She said that all three of them needed a good long leave, but that she knew they weren't going to go on leave while Daniel was still missing. However, she'd told him that as chief medical officer, if she felt it her duty to declare them unfit for duty, then unfit they would be until they'd all rested and were better. Since seeing them in the conference room, he realized that she was right, and he was very close to ordering them to stay on the base for the next few days. Still, it would be easier to deal with Colonel O'Neill if Dr. Frasier were the first to suggest it. Then, when the outraged colonel came to his office to complain, he could quietly inform him of his agreement and that would be that. There would be complaints, swearing, and threats to retire, but in the end, SG-1 would get the rest it needed and the search for Dr. Jackson would continue.

Still, he didn't want to be anywhere near the infirmary when Dr. Frasier delivered her verdict of "unfit for duty." A nuclear disaster would be smaller and have less power than Jack O'Neill's reaction, to say nothing of what Sam's and Teal'c's reactions would be like in combination to Jack's. There was only so much an old general could face, and being within range of his flagship team's ire was not one of them.

Space

SG-1 was in the commissary when the orderly from the infirmary arrived. All three of them had been staring listlessly at the plates of food in front of them, and the orderly's report that Dr. Frasier needed to see them immediately surprised them.

"Is there something wrong?" Sam asked the orderly as he accompanied them back the infirmary.

"She didn't say, ma'am," the orderly told her.

"I don't care if one of us has the Bubonic Plague, we're not stopping the search," Jack muttered as they entered the infirmary for the second time that day. "What's up, doc? We're on a time schedule."

Janet walked up to them, carrying three folders. "I'm aware that time is tight, but not for you three," she said, looking ready for a fight. "You're off active duty until further notice."

"What?" Carter gasped.

"No!" Teal'c refused. "We must search for Daniel Jackson!"

"Tell another one, Doc!" Jack said, turning around and heading for the door. "Let's go, kids. We've got a geek to find off-world."

"Colonel!" Dr. Frasier snapped as two SFs stepped into the door to keep him where he was. "I'll have you know that I've got General Hammond's full support on this, and after seeing you today, he agrees with me."

Immediately, Jack turned, his face shocked. "What?" That wasn't expected! He expected the General to allow him to continue searching! The old guy came through for people like that! What was he thinking by backing Frasier up?

"As Chief Medical Officer, I'm placing all three of you off active duty until further notice. You're all exhausted and seriously malnourished and underweight, so you're staying here until I'm satisfied that you're fit enough for duty off-world. Now, you can rest in your on-base quarters if you want, or you can stay here in the infirmary if you're going to be difficult about this, but either way you will _rest_."

"Janet," Sam began, not sure what to say to convince her to let them go. "We can't stay here…"

"Oh, yes, you can," Janet countered. "There are other SG teams than SG-1, and they're all looking for Daniel, too. I know that it is policy that we never leave anyone behind, but it does not have to be SG-1 that finds him and brings him home. If the three of you go off-world and end up in a battle, then your exhaustion could kill you all. No, you're staying here, and you'll be following a regimen that will get you healthy again within a short amount of time. Only when I'm satisfied that you're well will you walk through that Gate. Does everyone understand?"

"I'm going to see General Hammond," Jack said, sounding ready to kill a certain petite doctor.

Teal'c muttered something in Jaffa. "I, too," he said, following Jack.

"I understand why you're concerned," Sam said quickly to Janet. "But we can't sit around here eating and sleeping while Daniel's out there possibly being tortured or something by Apophis! Wait up, guys." With that, she followed the rest of her team.

She gave them all ten minutes before the general sent them back down here, so she got a surprise when they were all back in five. The looks on their faces told her all she needed to know.

"He threatened us all with court-martial and expulsion from the Stargate program," Sam explained. "We didn't even make it to his office, and he met us in the hallway. Also, we're confined to the infirmary and your tender mercies until we're fit again."

Teal'c looked ready to hit something, Jack looked ready to kill, and Sam looked merely resigned…and tired. If she hadn't known to look for it, Janet would have missed the fatigue apparent on Jack's and Teal'c's faces as well.

"He said something else, too," Jack added. "Something about being prepared to take it if you're going to dish it out. I assume you know what he meant?"

"Yes, I do," Janet said. "Well, in anticipation of this, I have three beds ready for you, and you'll have a little snack from the commissary in a few hours."

"Bed isn't necessary," Jack informed her. "I'll rest in a chair with a magazine."

"You will rest in bed," Janet ordered. "Or you'll be given something to make you sleep; so, which will it be, Colonel?"

"How 'bout roast doctor?" Jack muttered, taking the scrubs an orderly held out to him and going behind a screen to change. "And a side of revenge with sweet justice!"

Janet held out scrubs to Sam and Teal'c. "You two?"

"I agree with O'Neill," Teal'c said. "But I appreciate your concern and solicitude for our health, Dr. Frasier." He took the scrubs and went to change.

"Same here," Sam said, taking the proffered pajamas. "Just…help us get well fast, okay, Janet? Daniel's out there somewhere."

"No problem. A lot of your recovery will depend on the effort you three put into it, so I don't foresee a long stay here. Go get into bed."

When she went to check on the three of them fifteen minutes later, Jack and Sam were sleeping soundly and Teal'c was deeply in kel'no'reem (he would also sleep later, she could tell), but she ordered an airman to keep a close eye on them. All three of them had been known to creep away on unauthorized trips before, and they could wake up and try to slip out. She didn't want that to happen until they were just a bit better. Then they could all go and get into all the trouble that they wanted.

Space

"A concert?" Daniel said in shock after An-khet had told him what plans Apophis had made. "Has someone slam-dunked his snakey little mind? A concert?"

"That is what he's decided," An-khet assured him. "He said that he knew you were enough of an artist to choose beautiful pieces to play."

Daniel sank onto a chaise and groaned. Apophis had said exactly the right thing to appeal to his sense of art. There was no way he would go in there and bang on the piano just to embarrass the man, oh, no. No, now he had no choice (in his own mind) to play his very best, and Apophis knew it. Daniel took pride in his musical ability because Sha're loved it, and he knew something else: Sha're would hear him play as well.

_That _put things into a different light entirely! The entire concert could be for Sha're! Hadn't he thought of a thousand melodies that he would like to dedicate to her and play for her? Now he could do that very thing! "How long did you say I had again?"

"Three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Daniel gasped. "That's not much time! I have to get ready!"

A very amazed An-khet escorted an impatient Daniel to the music room, and as soon as they reached it Daniel sat down and began to peck out tunes on the keys of the piano and writing them down on a piece of papyrus. His outlook had changed so completely that An-khet wondered if the Tau'ri had not gone the slightest bit mad with his confinement. That would surely explain his odd behavior!


	5. Chapter 5

Deep within herself, Sha're rested. She had been possessed by this demon for what seemed eternities, but really it was only a few years. She could remember almost everything that she'd seen through her own eyes and she could remember being powerless to stop any of it, but there was always some small kernel of hope that kept her from giving up completely.

That hope was Daniel.

Her husband was brave; she'd known that the first time they'd met. Now, she appreciated just how courageous he really was. He stayed within this den of vipers by choice so he could be with her. Even though they threatened him and kept him under guard, she knew that he could be gone at a wish and Apophis would be powerless to stop him. Also, he stood up to Apophis on a daily basis by thinking the impossible: their future together. Both Apophis and Amaunet had told Daniel that they would never release her, yet Daniel dared to dream and discuss his dreams with her. At the same time, he encouraged her to dream, too. During their daily visits they talked about returning home to Abydos, having children, and all the necessary acts that children would entail. They discussed how many children (Daniel wanted at least ten or more) they would have, how many boys and how many girls, and what names they would give them. Daniel looked forward to teaching them to read and write, and Sha're had the idea that Daniel would open the first school on Abydos. He had been teaching some of the adults to read and write, but now their children and everyone else's children would learn.

They discussed other things, too. When the children were older, they would visit Earth, where they would learn all about the world their father came from and even attend university if they wished. From what Daniel had told her, he'd managed to begin what he called a "trust fund" for their children. It was money he put by which "grew" in value, and it would mean that their children would never want for money on Earth. Daniel had already been speaking with his government about setting up a "scholarship" for people from other worlds to come and study at Earth universities. The program would also allow young people from Earth to go to other planets and study. The whole idea sounded wonderful, and Sha're found she wished she could do the same, and voiced this wish to Daniel.

"You will," he'd said, smiling at her. "If you want to, I'll make it happen. There's a large university not far from where I work, and it is a very good school. You could go there."

"I am too old," Sha're protested.

Daniel smiled. "People fifty years and older go to school, and you're only in your twenties. You're still young enough; don't worry."

When Apophis announced that Daniel would give a concert for the court, Sha're was certain that he would refuse, but instead, Daniel surprised her yet again. Daniel told her that he would give the concert, but it was not going to be what Apophis thought.

"What will it be?" she asked.

"Something I think you will like," he told her before giving her a kiss.

--

The day of the concert was a beautiful one, and Sha're was impatient as Amaunet prepared for it. First there was a bath and having her hair washed, and then there was lounging about in a robe until she was dry. Then, her ladies applied cosmetics and dressed her before doing her hair. Sha're quite liked the silver gown she was wearing, as well as the jewelry, but she remembered the outfit she had worn at her wedding. It had been a simple Abydonian gown, and Daniel had said that he preferred it to any other that he'd seen her in. She could remember him saying that it had been more beautiful than any thing he had ever seen. Coming from a man who had traveled the stars and seen countless worlds and wonders, she had been surprised yet very pleased. He preferred her as she was, without any of the many aids to beauty that Amaunet preferred.

Apophis arrived at her quarters in order to escort her to the music hall. "Ah, my queen," he said, gazing into her eyes. "You grow more beautiful with each day."

"I thank you, my lord," Amaunet said. Sha're shuddered within herself. She did not want that demon to think her beautiful!

"I look forward to hearing the Tau'ri play," Apophis said, taking her arm to lead her out. "I do not know why, but he intrigues me. It is hopeless for him to gain back his wife, yet he never gives up hope. Also, he is remarkably stubborn. Most Tau'ri would have surrendered and acknowledged me their god long since."

Sha're felt Amaunet smile. "Perhaps all he needs is a little more time and incentive. After all, if he accepts you as his god, he can devote his life to our service, and he will feel honored to have given his wife to his god and his consort."

"Yes," Apophis agreed. "I have been guiding his reading to that effect, showing him that I can be merciful and kind to those who follow me. I have had many scrolls placed in the library, and I hope they garner some results soon. It would be most advantageous to have him truly devoted to me and to then send him back to his people."

"How very clever!" Amaunet said, catching on immediately. "But why not use nish'ta on him? He would become devoted to you much more quickly."

"The Tau'ri know of nish'ta, and they would think to look for it. Besides, from what my agents have learned, he has already become immune to it due to his exposure while he and his friends were battling Seth. No, it will be much better if we help him to become our slave without it."

Amaunet lauded her lord for his cleverness and followed him to their thrones at the front of the room. Other chairs were already filled with friends and other people they wished to impress, and only after everyone was seated was the Tau'ri Daniel led in. He reached the pactnah, bowed to the company, and then spoke.

"I would like to dedicate this concert to my wife Sha're," he said. "For our love for one another."

More than one woman sighed at that, and Apophis wished that Tau'ri were not so sentimental about one another. The amount of tears and wailing he'd seen over the years! It was enough to make one cringe.

Daniel sat down at the pactnah, flexed his fingers, and placed his hands on the keys. In the next moment, music poured into the room, and Apophis found himself amazed. He hadn't realized that Daniel was a musician as well as a scholar and a pain in the mik'ta. The man's talent was almost frightening.

Sha're was listening, and if she had been capable of tears, she would have cried tears of joy. He was playing "A Red Red Rose," and it sounded as if heaven had opened up with song. During the whole time he was playing it, Daniel kept his eyes on hers, letting her know how deep his love was, and how devoted he was to her.

--

Sam was in her quarters, fuming. They'd been Earthbound by order of Dr. Janet Frasier and General Hammond, and she, O'Neill, and Teal'c were most unamused. They could be Earthbound, but none of them could be made to take some time off the base. She was seriously thinking of contacting her dad and asking his help in busting out of the base to somewhere offworld.

Someone knocked, startling her and bringing her out of her thoughts. She sighed, and then called for whoever it was to come in.

"Hey," O'Neill said as he and Teal'c came in. "Came to see how you were."

"Still unhappy with our doctor and commanding officer," she admitted. "How could they do this? Daniel's out there somewhere, and they expect us to sit around."

"Well, as for the sitting around part, I don't intend to be doing much of that."

Carter stared at them. "You're planning something."

"It was O'Neill's idea," Teal'c said. "We wish to know if you would like to be part of it."

"It might get us court-martialled," Jack said quickly.

Sam smiled. "Talk."


	6. Chapter 6

Daniel's Diary

_It's been a while since I last wrote. Things have been kind of hectic lately. Actually, they've been kind of weird. The latest weird thing that happened was Apophis' decision that I give a concert. According to what I heard An-khet tell one of the other servants, it was to keep me occupied and to help me out of my "depression." Apparently, I've been depressed since my failed escape attempt. I suppose I have been, but I've been very careful never to let Sha're know. If she knew, she would feel guilty and blame herself, and that would never do. No, she needs to keep her spirits up, and I'm a pretty good actor in a tense situation. I can at least make sure she doesn't have to worry about me in addition to everything else she worries about._

_The concert went all right, and I dedicated it to Sha're. I'm sure that no one else noticed, but I saw a few tears go down her face as I played "A Red, Red Rose." Despite being under the control of Amaunet, she still feels, and occasionally I see those feelings surface when no one else notices. _

_I've been doing quite a bit of thinking lately, and I realized something. Apophis must truly love Amaunet to indulge her wish to keep a troublesome host. Any other Ga'ould would simply choose a new one and kill the old one, but not Amaunet. No, she likes Sha're. Sha're once told me that death would be a release, but she also said that she has hope that we would be together again, free of the Ga'ould. I know that she does not want to die, but if death is the only way to end Amaunet's control, then she would accept it. Of course, I asked her what circumstances would cause her to accept death (by this point I was having a hard time keeping my voice steady) and she answered, "If Amaunet were to try killing you, husband."_

_By that point, we were both crying. The stress of my being a hostage is starting to tell on us both. Unspoken was her request that I kill her if circumstances became too bad. I wasn't sure if I could actually do it, and I'm still not. If she were about to kill someone else, I'm sure I could kill Amaunet (not Sha're, but Amaunet), but if it were my own life…I'm not sure. Then again, Sha're would hate knowing that it was her hand that killed her husband, despite the fact that it was beyond her control. She would hate having killed anyone. None of this situation is fair, and especially not to Sha're._

_Actually, upon thinking about it, I'm not sure I could kill her. This is Sha're. She and her people gave me a home and a family. They saved my life. They loved me for no other reason than that I was me. The last people to do that were my parents. My foster parents saw me more as a trophy instead of a little boy. After all, I was highly intelligent and a credit to them both. Never mind that my intelligence and knowledge came from the upbringing my parents had given me until they died. I was only given affection from them when I succeeded in doing something that reflected well on them. If I won an academic competition, for example, or gave a very good lecture when I was only twelve. People don't stop needing affection if their parents die, and I needed it, but I only received it once I jumped through a dozen hoops and reached their expectations. There were some times during my time with them when I felt like a mouse in a maze or a performing animal. I was caged and begging for spiritual sustenance._

_That was what made Sha're and Abydos so wonderful. I never had to ask for affection. It was given to me freely every day. The people there all greeted me warmly. The men accepted me into their enclave and called me "son" or "brother." The women called me "son" or "grandson." To the kids I was "uncle." A whole city of family. To everyone I was either "brother," "son," "grandson," or "uncle." They were understanding of my shortcomings (when I couldn't perform some chore they could all do) and praised me for my efforts. Sha're was the one who made me feel special just because I was Daniel, her husband. To me, she was wonderful, and to her, I was wonderful. Other women would praise her on her husband, and she would simply smile, thanking them without words. She woke me with a kiss and a "Husband" every morning, and every night…Well, let's just say that every night was wonderful. Even if we did nothing more than hold one another, it was wonderful._

_That is the life I wish to return to, with Sha're at my side. Sha're has taught me how to see wonder in the world again, and she helped me remember how to love and care for someone else. I have to find us a way out of here._

--

"You do realize that this is going to get us court-martialed, sir?" Carter asked as they ransacked the armory and supplies room for weapons and equipment.

"We haven't been court-martialed yet, Carter. I'm guessing that General Hammond will be really happy to see all of us with Daniel, and he'll forget all about the court-martial."

"Still, we're defying direct orders, taking supplies and weapons without authorization, and we're going to be doing some unauthorized Gate travel."

"We're so bad, aren't we?" Jack grinned.

That broke the tension, and Carter laughed.

"Still, Carter, if you don't want to…" Jack began. "You don't have to, you know."

"No, I want to. I guess this is just last minute worrying."

"I have a feeling that General Hammond will be upset at our disobedience, but not at our actions," Teal'c said, zipping his jacket.

"Exactly," Jack confirmed. "I mean, how many times has he threatened me with court-martial? I mean, how many?"

"I won't answer that, sir," Carter said quickly as they left and headed toward the Gate room and the control room. Once there, Carter entered the required codes, closed off corridors, locked doors, and activated the Gate. The alarms were going off and they could hear voices shouting at them, and one of them was General Hammond's.

"He is very angry, O'Neill," Teal'c said, listening while they were waiting for Carter to join them at the Gate.

"Yup," Jack admitted. "There's that tone to his voice that promises death and dismemberment."

"Or enforced vacation," Sam said, arriving. "They won't be able to get into this room or the control room for the next fifteen minutes, and by the time they do, the computer will have erased our destination."

"Perfect. Let's go."

With that, all of them set off to rescue Daniel.


End file.
